Star-Crossed(41)

She wanted to go back and argue with Wyatt, but she knew that was pointless when he was in full-on sheriff mode. New Year’s Eve was one of the worst nights of the year for him, and he was all business because of it. Instead she picked up her cell phone as a distraction, going back to Romeo’s picture and reading the text beneath it.

 Wish I was with you. Stuck here instead.

Break it off. Jules told herself that after every phone call. Every text message. She chanted it in her head at night before she fell asleep, and she woke up with the same reminder. Never in a million years would it work with Romeo. There was so much she didn’t know about him, and a lot more she did know and wished she didn’t.

She set her phone down and turned to the computer. She logged in to the national database and looked him up. Not for the first time. She’d done it many times since she’d gotten home, and every single time it was almost impossible to equate the information on the police report with the man she’d spent the night with in Las Vegas.

She stared at the screen, seeing his crimes in black-and-white, and still she couldn’t accept it.



106



 Assault.

 Resisting arrest with violence.

 Battery on an officer.

Those were extremely serious offenses, and apparently the state of New York agreed. Romeo Wellings had spent two years in prison because of them, and that was as mind-boggling as the rest of it.

The phone rang, jerking her out of her thoughts, and she reached to answer it automatically. “911, what’s your emergency?”

“Dang, Jules, I can’t believe the sheriff’s got you working on a holiday.” Eyes still on the screen, she repeated, “What’s your emergency?”

“Oh, you know, the boys have been drinking, and they ended up in a nasty fistfight. Broke my dang coffee table in the process.” The caller sighed. “I guess ya ought to send the sheriff out here to straighten ’em out.”

“Sheriff’s kinda busy right now,” Jules said with a glance at Wyatt’s office, seeing that he was leading Terry to the lockup in back. “Are they still fighting?”

“Nah, I just thought he could come and talk to ’em. Scare ’em a little. They shouldn’t be drinking anyways. They’re not even old enough, but they found their daddy’s stash and wouldn’t ya figure they’d be mean drunks.”

“That seems to be par for the course in this town,” Jules observed because they’d been getting the same damn call all night. “Drinking underage is a crime and Sheriff’s in a mood on account of New Year’s. You sure you want him to come out there?”

“I suppose not. I’ll just have their daddy give ’em a talking to when he gets off shift.”

“Good plan,” Jules agreed. “But call back if you need help.”

“Will do. Thanks, Jules.”

“No problem,” Jules said and then hung up.





107

She went back to staring at the screen but jumped when Wyatt said behind her,

“Are you advising people against seeking my assistance on account of the fact they’re breaking the law? What the hell kinda dispatch are ya running, Jules?”

“Back off,” she snapped as she stood. She reached for her cell phone and shoved it in her pocket before she announced, “I’m going on break.”

“We’re swamped. You can’t go on break.”

“Watch me.” Jules walked past her brother and headed toward the lockup. “Fire me if you don’t like it. Not like I get a damn paycheck anyway.”

“Do you wanna paycheck?” Wyatt asked, following after her. “Do you need the two hundred bucks? Only lawyer for two towns. You ain’t exactly hurting for cash.”

“What I need is a break.” Jules stopped in front of the hallway that led to the lockup and tilted her head. “I believe that’s a dispatch call I hear.” Wyatt stood his ground, glaring at her until the third ring. Then he swore and turned on his heel, dashing back to the front desk. Jules left him to it and headed to the lockup. She stopped in front of the first cell, leaned against the bars, and pressed her face between them.

“Hey, Terry,” she whispered.

Terry sat on the bench, looking broken, but he ran a hand through his dark hair and turned his head to glance at her. “Hey, Jules.”

“Wanna tell me what happened?”

“Are ya asking as my lawyer?”

“I’m asking as your friend.” Jules gave him a gentle smile. “Tomorrow I’ll be your lawyer. We’ll get it handled, darlin’.”

“I thought you weren’t allowed to practice criminal law.”